Trump envoy Kushner to meet Netanyahu on Gaza peace plan

Jared Kushner, acting as the U.S. envoy and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, is scheduled to visit Israel next week for negotiations concerning the Gaza Strip. This visit, reported by Axios citing five sources familiar with the matter, comes as the White House and Trump's "Board of Peace" aim to advance the next phase of their Gaza peace initiative.

The proposed plan includes the disarmament of the militant Palestinian group Hamas and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. This 15-point plan, presented by Trump's peace council in July, has surprisingly received support from Hamas. It represents the latest stage in the U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which was announced in October of the previous year.

However, Israel has shown skepticism regarding the withdrawal proposals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the peace council's plan on Sunday. The upcoming Israeli elections in October are expected to heighten the political sensitivity surrounding the Gaza issue and any potential Israeli withdrawal.

A senior U.S. official informed Axios that the White House views Netanyahu's statements as campaign rhetoric rather than a definitive stance on government policy. Kushner is reportedly planning to travel with Nikolaj Mladenov, a senior representative of Trump's peace council, to meet with Netanyahu and other high-ranking Israeli officials. Israel has reportedly reduced its attacks in Gaza since the presentation of the peace council's plan, though daily airstrikes have continued, resulting in over 1,200 Palestinian casualties, mostly civilians, and four Israeli soldiers killed since the October 2025 ceasefire.